Week 4: Yoga! 20 Minutes of Yoga Everyday

Week 3 Recap: No Pop

Week 3 has BY FAR been the most difficult week, but I am proud to say that I finished it successfully! The first day was not very difficult because I did not have any pop available and it was cold outside, so I had no interest in going anywhere just for a fizzy beverage. Then day 2 hit me like a truck. Day 2's are Monday's which inherently suck, add on top of that not being able to have my favorite morning indulgence makes it suck infinite +1. Has anyone ever had a good Monday? I don't believe I have. Monday rant aside, I really started feeling the addictive effects from pop, which were two-fold. One was from a scientific standpoint - caffeine is mildly addictive, the other was from a personal preference - I love me some sugary goodness. To say I was irritable on Monday is an understatement. Here's a list of things I find most irritable:

1. Uncomfortable pants
2. Recorders (the clarinet-like instrument that younger kids are often required to play)
3. Loading screens that load 1-98% super quick, and then stop at 99% for 10 minutes

Monday was the equivalent of wearing pants that shrunk way too much in the dryer and having an itch in the unacceptable-to-itch-in-public-places spot, while listening to 1000 third graders having a recorder concert, and waiting for my computer to finish loading that last 1% for 30 minutes. Trying to explain this to others made me sound like a recovering drug addict (which I suppose I was since caffeine is a drug.)

My workplace has a fridge about 30 steps away from my desk that is loaded with free pop. On top of that, said fridge needs to be walked past to fill up my water bottle - what a tease. I tried to quench my need for sweetness by using water enhancers, but they just don't compare to my love for pop. By Thursday, the NEED had subsided, and then I just needed to fight off the WANT. It certainly became easier as the days passed, but even as I write this, I feel like I'm not complete without having a pop on my desk. It's like an old friend I miss dearly :( I still plan on going as long as I can without drinking some, but I believe the pop free days are extremely limited. My goal was never to stop drinking pop for good, but to limit my dependence on it and to increase my water intake. Based off of that criteria, I would say my goal has been met!

I set a challenge bonus for myself this week: 7 hours of sleep per day. I did not successfully accomplish this, but not for lack of trying. I typically don't think about what time it is until I need to do something. I tend to not think about bed until I start feeling tired, and this just happens to usually be after midnight. A few nights I just found myself laying in bed bored because I simply wasn't tired. Towards the end of the week (Thursday and Friday) I was able to get at least 7 hours in. On Saturday, I just let myself sleep until I felt like getting up, which ended up being 2pm. I can't explain my sleep habits. Anyway, I did feel more alert in the mornings, so I plan on continuing this challenge to see if my body just needs more time to adjust.

Week 4: Yoga! 20 Minutes of Yoga Everyday

Yoga. Hot Yoga. Wii Yoga. Yoga Pants (what a great invention). Yoga is everywhere. I tried it out on my Wii Fit a few years ago, but it never kept me hooked. Yoga has the benefit of mixing in strength, stretching, and toning. These are all things I need since my prior week challenges have helped me lose 8 lbs so far, and I don't plan on stopping there! I want to continue mixing healthier eating and activity together to create a better me in 2014. I started 2014 weighing 287.5 lbs which is absolutely ridiculous. I remember 200 lb me thinking to myself "we need to lose some weight, Austin". If I could have seen a glimpse into my current life about 6 years ago, I can guarantee I wouldn't be as hefty as I am today. 

After already gaining an unacceptable amount weight, I've tried many times to lose it - clearly those attempts were unsuccessful. I tried pushing myself too hard too fast, and often that just leads to failure. By breaking certain tasks down into focused weeks, I have been able to hold myself to my promises, and my motivation to continue couldn't be higher! I have been warned by many that yoga is no piece of cake, so I have no intentions of taking it lightly. Several have told me to visit a yoga studio, but I would rather not interrupt a class of serious yoga enthusiasts when the inevitable blast of hot air is released, followed by uncontrollable and immature laughter. I will keep my tuba playing and embarrassing lack of flexibility limited to my room while watching Yoga For Beginners on youtube. If you are ever feeling down this week, just imagine a man of my size trying yoga, hopefully that brings a smile to your face.